Water-power



(No Model.) 4 SheetS-Shet 1.

A. IC. MATHER. WATER POWER.

No. 441,183. Patented Nov. 25. 1890.

"" W W' W (W M 4 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. O. MATH'ER.

WATER POWER.

Patnted Nov. 25, 1890.

NOI 441,183.

W Wo N ilu-nurtu:

'ma Nunms vzYERs co., vnm'wumo., wAsmNGTcN. p, c.

(No Model;) 4 SheetS-Shee' 3.

7A. o. MATHBR.

WATER POWER.

No. 441,188. Patente Nov. 25, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT .wiem

ALONZO C. MATI-IER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATER-POWER.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,183, dated November25,1890.

Application filed June 14, 1889. Serial No. 314,293. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO O. MATHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vater-Power, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to utilize the power of large andcomparatively slow-moving bodies of water, to accomplish which it isnecessary, first, to produce a very large long water-wheel soconstructed that every part will tend to brace the wheel in a perfectlyrigid manner and provided with 'removable paddles; against which thewater eX- erts its pressure, which can be readily and quickly replaced;second, it is necessary to raise and lower the said wheel quickly, nomatter whatt-he length or weight, to provide for the rise and fall ofthe current and guard against heavy flows of ice; third, on account ofthe slow but very powerful movement of the wheel and small space in thepiers, it is necessary to combine great power-reproducing machinerywhich can be quickly connected or disconnected with the shaft of thelarge wheel, according to the force of the current under variouscircumstances. At the same time it must be so braced that no strain willcome upon the pier itself, but be equalized by a strain in oppositedirections, which I accomplish with iron eye-beams tied together in sucha'manner that the spread of the bracing by any thrnst or stroke of thepistonrod could not amount to the fractional part of an inch.

It will be seen that I utilize the truss of the bridge for conveying thecompressed air as well as to support the bridge, serving a doublepurpose, and thereby justifying the expense.

In the drawings,l1igure 1 is a front view of my invention. Fig. 2 is aside view taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a plan view. Fig. 4 isan enlarged view of one of my adjustable connecting-rods A. Fig. 5 is anenlarged view of the screw B, by which I move the boxes or bearings ofthe small cog-wheels C O. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of one of myair-compressor cylinders, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is adetail' of one of my sliding bearings, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.8 is an end view of the water-wheel' E.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a detailshowing the manner of attaching and supporting my removablepaddle-boards F. Fig. 1], is a detail of the endv of one of my paddlesF, showing the manner in which it is strengthened at theends.

In the drawings, a is a hollow shaft to give stiffness and lightness,filled solid to a point just beyond where the strain of the bearing andbracing comes.

b b are the arms of the wheel, so shaped that they brace one against theotherat a point where they rest upon the shaft, every third or fourthone being let into the shaft, all being` firmly held in place by collarsc c, and each ray or spoke being held in its place bya separate bolt clpassing through it and the collar on the shaft. The outer extremities ofthe arms b b are provided with fianges c e, against which my removablepaddles are bolted. vThe extreme ends or points of the arms arecountersunk, into which I let the iron brace f, which is bolted to thecollar g near the bearings at each end of the wheel, making a twist nearthe collar to which they are fastened, and by which the sharp edge ispresented at the outer edge of the wheel, thus bracing it in aperfectlyrigid manner and protecting the edge of the paddles F, whichare also protected on their ends by the band h, strengthening them, sothe bolt g' g' will hold them firmly in their place. (See Fig. 10.)

G is a hydraulic cylinder let into the masonry of the pier.

l-I is a plunger, which is forced up or down by hydraulic pressure.

J is the main shaft of the water-wheel, rest- R R are the ways in whichthe box or bearing S is gnided.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that in the construction of myinvention I leave an opening in the center of the pier z z between thetrusses V, across the bottom of .u pon the end of the plunger H, whichis raised and lowered by the hydraulic cylinder G. In .the space betweenthe eye-beams K K are sliding boxes V XV. The trusses V are suitablybraced and consist of pipes or tubing adapted to convey compressed airfrom the several reservoirs P to points where thepower is to beutilized.

In operation itwill be seen that When the large water-wheel E is set inmotion the large cogwheel N, keyed upon its shaft,will travel slowly andpowerfully. This large vwheel N meshes Wit-h the small cog-wheels C C,the :lower set being connected by an adj ustable connectingrod Ato-t-he'piston-rod of the air-compressors U U and the upper set by abelt to the shaft L, by which I am enabled to obtain a high speed 'fordynamos in the upperstory and proper speed for working theair-compressors- The air-compressors U U being attached to the-extremeends of-v the eye-beams in the lower.

K K and working in opposite'directions, the pressure by the stroke in'one 'direction is equalized by that in the other. In order to raise orlower the water-wheel E, I first screw or unscrew the long screw B, soas to throw. the upper set of cog-wh'eels out of gear. I.

then raise the main shaft by the hydraulic cylinder G just sufficient tothrow it out of gear with the lower set of cog-wheels C O. I then bymeans of the screw B and adjustable connecting-rod A put them in theposition desired, dropping Va pin w, Fig. 7, through the fiange on'theeye-beams as well as through the boxes VV W, which slide between them,firmly looking the bearings of the lower set of eog-wheels in 'the placedesired. I then lower the main shaft until the large wheel meshes into'the lower set of cog-Wheels. Ithen screw my set-screw Y well into theplunger or piston-rod of the hydraulie cylinder, which looks i-t inplace. 'It will be thus seen thatI am enabled to raise or lower mywater-wheel at will' at a'distance of ten'or fifteen feet and secure' itat any point desired and'immediately throw It will also be seen that bymy construction I am enabled to utilize the parts of the bridge for two.purposes without additional cost, the trusses which serve to supportthebridge acting also as conductors of'the compressed air,

and ltherebythe provision of additional pipes or conductors for thispurposeis unnecessary. VHaving thus described my invention, what I claimis-- 1. The.combination,'witha water-wheel supported and turning betweentwo piers, of hydraulic cylinders mounted in the piers and havingplungers connected to the shaft of said wheel and moving in saidcylinders,whereby the wheel may be supported and elevated by vthecylinders at each end, substantially as de scribed.

2. The combination, with the piers, of a water-wheel adjustablysupported between the piers, air-compressors mounted on the piers, andadj ustable connections between the air-eompressors and the wheel,whereby the compressors' may be operated by the Wheel adjusted atvarious heights, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the piers, of a water-wheel adjustablysupported between the piers, a driving-gear connected with thewater-wheel, beams mounted in the piers, and gears adj ustably mountedon the beams, whereby the gears may be adj usted to engage with thegears on the water-Wheel vat various heights of the wheel, substantiallyas described.

4. The'combination, with a water-wheel adjustably supported between twopiers, of the beams K K, the air-compressors attached to the ends ofsaid beams, the cog-wheel N on `thewater-wheel shaft, the cog-wheels CO,

6. The combination, in a water-power wheel,

of the shaft J, the armsb h, resting upon and engaged 'with said shaft,the flanged collars c, surrounding the shaft von each side of said arms,the bolts d d, passed through said collars and arms, and the braces f,engaged with the outer ends of the arms b and secured 'to the shaft J atboth endsof .the water-wheel,

.substantially as described. the wheel which Works my air-compressor andi l electric dynamo in engagement with it.

7. The combination, in a water-power wheel,

their outer ends with 'the four flanges e, the

IIO

paddles and cross-braces secured to said

